2023-11-24 11:55:38
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Sébastien Leban’s photos leave no one indifferent. From the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to global warming, the photojournalist is on all fronts. The Mosellan won the political photo prize from the National Assembly for his photo of Marine Le Pen taken in 2023 during a stay in Senegal.
France Télévisions – Culture Editorial
Published on 11/24/2023 10:31 Updated on 11/24/2023 10:55
Reading time: 2 min A photo by Moselle photographer Sébastien Leban during the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (SEBASTIEN LEBAN / LE POINT)
Sébastien Leban is a true globetrotter. This photojournalist from Moselle who grew up in the Fensch Valley, works in particular around the issue of climate change and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He has been traveling regularly to the Middle East for ten years. Photojournalism allows him to raise awareness. On the eve of a new beginning, Sébastien Leban presented his photos to the weekly Point.
For three weeks, he covered the Hamas attack on Israel and brought back in his luggage, this striking photo: a rescuer picked up the stuffed toy of a dead child which he placed on the body bag in the ambulance . The independent reporter explains the strong return of violence in this part of the world. “Sometimes we entered a house with the lights on, there was still dinner prepared, the television on and scenes of destruction, bullet holes everywhere, traces of blood“, he says.
Mosellan photographer Sébastien Leban. Mosellan photographer Sébastien Leban. – (FRANCE 3 LORRAINE: V. Piovesan / Y. Kreidl / A. Salvini)
He photographs what we cannot see
Sébastien Leban is ready to return to the Middle East with a new objective. This time, he is trying to obtain permission to travel to the Gaza Strip. He is in discussions with army spokespeople who have promised him access. The deputy editorial director of Point often goes on a reporting trip with the photographer whom he appreciates for the quality of his photos and his efficiency in the field.
He photographs what we cannot see, he explains. “There is always an aesthetic touch and a way of understanding the symbolism of images and that is really important because we know when we send it somewhere, the result is good, we have photos that don’t look like to no other”, said Clément Pétreault, the deputy editorial director of Point.
Political Photo Prize
The talent of Sébastien Leban is recognized. He was recently rewarded at the National Assembly by obtaining the special mention of the Political Photography Prize with his incredible image of Marine Le Pen in front of a field of burning sugar cane, her left hand in her pants pocket, during of a trip to Senegal in early 2023.
A symbolic photo as the leader of the National Rally tries to establish herself on the international scene. “It’s a step aside. The fact that Marine Le Pen’s back is very evocative, not to mention the context, the scenography of the image, with this horizon blocked by chaos, by smoke. It’s always a moment of pleasure, to be able to share and to have the feedback of those who look at my photographs”, explains Sébastien Leban.
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